Embodiments of the invention relate generally to ultrasound systems and methods for using ultrasound systems. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to a system and method for ultrasound image processing.
Conventional ultrasonic imaging provides a mapping of ultrasonic echo signals onto an image plane where the intensity of the echo, caused principally by relatively small differences in material properties between adjacent material types, is mapped to brightness of pixels on the image plane. While such images serve to distinguish rough structure within the body, they provide limited insight into the physical properties of the imaged materials. Ultrasound-based diagnostic medical imaging techniques are used to visualize muscles, tendons, and many internal organs, to capture their size, structure and any pathological lesions with real time tomographic images. Ultrasound has been used by healthcare providers to image the human body for at least 50 years and has become one of the most widely used diagnostic tools in modern medicine. The technology is relatively inexpensive and portable, especially when compared with other medical imaging modalities.
Ultrasound technologies can be used to visualize and discern various medical information from soft tissues. However, the mechanical material properties (i.e. load versus deformation) of soft tissues such as tendon and ligament are nonlinear, deformation-dependent, and can reflect the pathological state of the tissue. Finding a non-invasive way of assessing these properties is a difficult task, but ultrasound techniques and systems can be utilized.
Today, most musculoskeletal pathologies are diagnosed by observing images captured through modalities such as MRI or Ultrasound. Often, key image texture changes affecting tissue pathology are observed. Yet, this observation-based diagnosis is highly subjective and observer-dependent. Hence an economical, yet objective ultrasound assessment method or imaging technology has been sought. To satisfy this clinical demand, additional ultrasound imaging technologies have been developed.
It is well known that tissue mechanical functionality (stiffness-strain relation and all other properties that can be deduced from this relation) is a function of mechanical behavior (deformation and displacement and all other properties that can be deduced from deformation and displacement). The tissue mechanical functionality is specific to each tissue type and tissue health status. Hence, a properly and reliably evaluated tissue mechanical functionality through a wide range of mechanical behavior can be a reliable metric for diagnosis or monitor tissue health.
With the advancement of ultrasound technology, ultrasound technology allows a fast, low cost, non-invasive and reliable measurement of both tissue mechanical functionality and tissue mechanical behavior.
However, known methods of tissue assessment with ultrasound do not provide an objective measure of the status of a pathology. Instead, typically an operator (such as a medical practitioner) observes behavior of a tissue in dynamic ultrasound images and makes a subjective determination as to the status.
It would therefore be desirable to have a system and method capable of objectively determining a status of the pathology with the tissue mechanical functionalities deduced via ultrasound dynamic image (CINE image) analysis.